The rise of globalization has seen the fall of geographical barriers to cross-border trade. Companies are now able to trade globally, and the opportunities it brings are endless. However, as with any opportunity, it presents challenges, and the significance of cross-cultural communication is now more apparent than ever. Ineffective communication can lead to losses in productivity, revenue, and opportunities. This report, commissioned by Swan River Wines, seeks to understand the cultural differences and their impact on effective communication, as well as lay out strategies to improve communication.
The report will first outline the markets, before assessing the obstacles to cross-cultural communication using model Laray , M . B . (1994) . The …show more content…
B . (1994) , there are six obstacles to effective cross-cultural communication. They include assumption of similarities, language differences, nonverbal misinterpretations, preconceptions and stereotypes, tendency to evaluate, and high anxiety.
One of the reasons why misunderstandings arise during intercultural communication is the incorrect assumption that there are enough similarities between people of the world to allow for communication. People tend to assume that just because someone speaks the same language, dresses the same way, or uses similar greeting conventions, they would be culturally similar. There is also the misconception that nonverbal cues are universal. The reason why people do this, is that when evaluating someone, they use their own culture as the frame of reference, and it is easier to assume similarity than to contemplate differences.
The next stumbling block in intercultural communication is language. Even if two individuals of different cultures speak the same language, the differences in vocabulary, syntax, idioms, slang, and accents are enough cause for major miscommunication. There is also the tendency to cling on to a meaning of a word or phrase, rather than consider its alternate meanings or the context. This is especially true during verbal communication, as the immediacy of it forces one to evaluate on the spot, and this is made worse in the presence of
The report will first outline the markets, before assessing the obstacles to cross-cultural communication using model Laray , M . B . (1994) . The …show more content…
B . (1994) , there are six obstacles to effective cross-cultural communication. They include assumption of similarities, language differences, nonverbal misinterpretations, preconceptions and stereotypes, tendency to evaluate, and high anxiety.
One of the reasons why misunderstandings arise during intercultural communication is the incorrect assumption that there are enough similarities between people of the world to allow for communication. People tend to assume that just because someone speaks the same language, dresses the same way, or uses similar greeting conventions, they would be culturally similar. There is also the misconception that nonverbal cues are universal. The reason why people do this, is that when evaluating someone, they use their own culture as the frame of reference, and it is easier to assume similarity than to contemplate differences.
The next stumbling block in intercultural communication is language. Even if two individuals of different cultures speak the same language, the differences in vocabulary, syntax, idioms, slang, and accents are enough cause for major miscommunication. There is also the tendency to cling on to a meaning of a word or phrase, rather than consider its alternate meanings or the context. This is especially true during verbal communication, as the immediacy of it forces one to evaluate on the spot, and this is made worse in the presence of